Zared rolled away from the side of the tent, shook her head to clear it, and stood, narrowing her eyes at the Howard man as soon as she saw him.
"Tell him," Tearle said to the woman.
She began to cry, then she lowered her head and shook it no.
Tearle tightened his arm about her waist. "I will give you to him," he threatened.
The woman gave a quick look at Severn, and there was fear in her eyes.
"My brother is not—" Zared said, meaning to say that he was not to be used as punishment, but Tearle cut her off.
"Tell him!" he ordered.
The woman sniffed. "She will kill me."
Tearle didn't say another word to the woman, but then he didn't have to. His look was quite enough for the woman.
Zared watched the woman cry a bit more. When she spoke, at first her words were so soft she could barely be heard.
"Lady… mud… armor… banner."
Zared looked in puzzlement to Severn and saw he also was straining to hear.
"Louder," Tearle said.
The woman put her chin in the air and glared at Severn as one might glare at the face of the devil.
"My lady does not want to marry you. She arranged for the mud in your helmet, the honey on your armor. She paid a man to paint your—"
She stopped because Severn was advancing on her, but Tearle protectively put the woman behind him.
"She is not the one," Tearle said. "Lady Anne played the tricks on you."
"Anne?" Severn asked in wonder, and Zared knew what he was thinking. Usually women liked him, usually women did what he wanted and were pleased to be allowed to do so. By any reckoning Severn was a handsome man. Were he not her brother, Zared might even believe him to be as handsome as Colbrand, so the news that Anne had done those things to him was shocking.
"Lady Anne did these things?" Severn asked.
"Aye," Tearle answered. "She has her heart set on Colbrand, but she knew her father favored you, so she made sure you were no longer a contender for her hand. She made everyone laugh at you."
Severn looked at Tearle. "A woman did this?" he whispered. "This was no Howard trick?"
"I can guarantee it was no Howard trick." Tearle glanced at Zared. "Perhaps Lady Anne thought it was a great joke."
Zared could see blood staining Severn's neck as his anger seemed to rise from somewhere deep inside himself.
"A joke?" he said. "I have been made to look like less than a man, and she believes it to be a joke? She has made even the lowest of the low laugh at me. Me! A Peregrine. Who is she? Naught but the rich daughter of a trumped-up merchant, while I…" He trailed off, no longer able to speak.
"Where is she?" Severn managed to croak out after a while.
"Eating dinner, I believe," Tearle said cheerfully. He released the woman from his grip, but she did not move.
"I will show her what it means to be laughed at," Severn said.
"My lord," the woman cried, "you cannot—"
Severn pushed past her and left the tent, the woman following him, begging him not to harm Lady Anne.
"What have you done?" Zared hissed at Tearle.